Best colleges for engineering in Illinois
Colleges that offer a bachelor’s in any engineering field, ranked by Compass Score.
Best colleges for engineering in Illinois27 schools
27 schools qualify, ranked by the Compass Score. The top 25 are shown.
How this list is made
- Schools in Illinois.
- Accredited four-year undergraduate colleges.
- Offers a bachelor’s program in engineering, from the College Scorecard field-of-study data (credential level 3).
- Each school needs a complete Compass Score, so every row shows a rating.
- Ordered by Compass Score, highest first. Schools with the same score share a rank.
Updated Oct. 20, 2026. Methodology. Spot an error? Send a correction.
- 1
University of Chicago
Chicago, IL · Private nonprofitHonor Roll#1 in Illinois
- Bachelor’s program in engineering
- Value grade A+ · Top 2%
- 2
Northwestern University
Evanston, IL · Private nonprofitHonor RollExceptional: Compass grade A+
- Bachelor’s program in engineering
- Value grade B+ · Top 27%
- 3
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
Champaign, IL · PublicHonor Roll#3 in Illinois
- Bachelor’s program in engineering
- Value grade A · Top 4%
- 4
Wheaton College
Wheaton, IL · Private nonprofitHonor Roll#4 in Illinois
- Bachelor’s program in engineering
- Value grade B-
- 5
Illinois Institute of Technology
Chicago, IL · Private nonprofitTop 7% for earnings
- Bachelor’s program in engineering
- Value grade A- · Top 17%
- 6
Loyola University Chicago
Chicago, IL · Private nonprofitTop 13% for earnings
- Bachelor’s program in engineering
- Value grade C+
- 7
Augustana College
Rock Island, IL · Private nonprofit#10 in Illinois
- Bachelor’s program in engineering
- Value grade B
- 8
Bradley University
Peoria, IL · Private nonprofitTop 13% for graduation
- Bachelor’s program in engineering
- Value grade B · Top 47%
- 9
DePaul University
Chicago, IL · Private nonprofitTop 16% for earnings
- Bachelor’s program in engineering
- Value grade B-
- 10
University of Illinois Chicago
Chicago, IL · PublicTop 16% for earnings
- Bachelor’s program in engineering
- Value grade A+ · Top 2%
- 11
Lewis University
Romeoville, IL · Private nonprofitTop 18% for earnings
- Bachelor’s program in engineering
- Value grade A- · Top 16%
- 12
North Central College
Naperville, IL · Private nonprofit#18 in Illinois
- Bachelor’s program in engineering
- Value grade B · Top 45%
- 13Tie
Monmouth College
Monmouth, IL · Private nonprofit#22 in Illinois
- Bachelor’s program in engineering
- Value grade B
- 13Tie
Olivet Nazarene University
Bourbonnais, IL · Private nonprofit#22 in Illinois
- Bachelor’s program in engineering
- Value grade B-
- 15
Aurora University
Aurora, IL · Private nonprofit#25 in Illinois
- Bachelor’s program in engineering
- Value grade B+ · Top 29%
- 16
Southern Illinois University Edwardsville
Edwardsville, IL · Public#27 in Illinois
- Bachelor’s program in engineering
- Value grade B+ · Top 21%
- 17
Illinois College
Jacksonville, IL · Private nonprofit#29 in Illinois
- Bachelor’s program in engineering
- Value grade B
- 18
Southern Illinois University-Carbondale
Carbondale, IL · PublicGood: Compass grade B
- Bachelor’s program in engineering
- Value grade B+ · Top 22%
- 19
Millikin University
Decatur, IL · Private nonprofit#33 in Illinois
- Bachelor’s program in engineering
- Value grade B-
- 20
North Park University
Chicago, IL · Private nonprofitGood: Compass grade B-
- Bachelor’s program in engineering
- Value grade B+ · Top 35%
- 21
Northern Illinois University
Dekalb, IL · Public#37 in Illinois
- Bachelor’s program in engineering
- Value grade A- · Top 18%
- 22
Eastern Illinois University
Charleston, IL · PublicTop 25% for low net price
- Bachelor’s program in engineering
- Value grade B+ · Top 24%
- 23
Benedictine University
Lisle, IL · Private nonprofitTop 21% for earnings
- Bachelor’s program in engineering
- Value grade B · Top 39%
- 24
Western Illinois University
Macomb, IL · PublicTop 25% for low net price
- Bachelor’s program in engineering
- Value grade B+ · Top 29%
- 25
Greenville University
Greenville, IL · Private nonprofitSolid: Compass grade C+
- Bachelor’s program in engineering
- Value grade B-
Compare cost and outcomes
| School | Net price a year | Median debt | Earnings 10 years out | Graduation rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of Chicago | $14,860 | $15,000 | $91,885 | 96% |
| Northwestern University | $29,167 | $15,000 | $89,363 | 95% |
| University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign | $14,355 | $19,500 | $81,054 | 85% |
| Wheaton College | $26,975 | $23,250 | $63,756 | 85% |
| Illinois Institute of Technology | $18,425 | $25,000 | $82,592 | 75% |
| Loyola University Chicago | $36,079 | $24,157 | $71,530 | 73% |
| Augustana College | $22,736 | $27,000 | $62,971 | 73% |
| Bradley University | $22,719 | $27,000 | $66,852 | 76% |
| DePaul University | $30,902 | $23,168 | $68,751 | 68% |
| University of Illinois Chicago | $10,974 | $16,704 | $68,740 | 62% |
| Lewis University | $17,028 | $21,500 | $66,099 | 67% |
| North Central College | $21,044 | $24,500 | $60,123 | 64% |
| Monmouth College | $17,133 | $27,000 | $51,110 | 65% |
| Olivet Nazarene University | $20,729 | $25,000 | $53,213 | 61% |
| Aurora University | $18,838 | $20,318 | $58,709 | 60% |
| Southern Illinois University Edwardsville | $14,889 | $20,500 | $56,346 | 57% |
| Illinois College | $18,298 | $25,565 | $52,575 | 64% |
| Southern Illinois University-Carbondale | $13,297 | $21,543 | $53,390 | 62% |
| Millikin University | $21,989 | $27,000 | $51,262 | 55% |
| North Park University | $16,948 | $25,500 | $59,572 | 58% |
| Northern Illinois University | $13,391 | $22,162 | $57,808 | 49% |
| Eastern Illinois University | $12,786 | $21,500 | $51,989 | 47% |
| Benedictine University | $22,313 | $22,500 | $63,446 | 50% |
| Western Illinois University | $12,937 | $25,251 | $54,163 | 45% |
| Greenville University | $19,533 | $23,875 | $46,827 | 40% |
Net price is the average yearly cost after grants. Federal data (College Scorecard). “—” means the school reports no figure.
This list in other states
- Alabama 11
- Arizona 8
- Arkansas 11
- California 56
- Colorado 13
- Connecticut 17
- District of Columbia 4
- Florida 27
- Georgia 12
- Idaho 6
- Indiana 28
- Iowa 13
- Kansas 9
- Kentucky 9
- Louisiana 10
- Maine 4
- Maryland 11
- Massachusetts 22
- Michigan 29
- Minnesota 15
- Mississippi 6
- Missouri 14
- Montana 3
- Nebraska 3
- New Hampshire 4
- New Jersey 11
- New Mexico 3
- New York 41
- North Carolina 17
- North Dakota 5
- Ohio 36
- Oklahoma 10
- Oregon 8
- Pennsylvania 57
- Puerto Rico 8
- Rhode Island 5
- South Carolina 15
- South Dakota 4
- Tennessee 25
- Texas 46
- Utah 8
- Vermont 5
- Virginia 22
- Washington 16
- West Virginia 9
- Wisconsin 16